Fox Creek and High Prairie healthcare facilities have been evacuated and closed due to wildfires in both regions.
Alberta Health Services says the Fox Creek Healthcare Centre was evacuated Saturday and will stay closed until it is safe to reopen. Patients’ families have been contacted with information on their new location. Anyone with an appointment for lab services, mental health, and public health will be contacted to reschedule as soon as possible.
More than 80 patients and long-term care residents in High Prairie were evacuated from the High Prairie Health Complex and JB Wood Continuing Care Centre around 11 p.m. Saturday. AHS says it is working to contact families to update them on patients’ locations, noting in some cases staff and physicians have gone with them to ensure care continuity.
Those facilities will also stay closed until safe to reopen. All appointments with laboratory services, diagnostic imaging, mental health, and public health have been postponed and clients will be contacted to rebook when possible.
“Patients who require hemodialysis are being accommodated at other facilities, and home care clients impacted by the evacuation have been contacted to arrange for alternative home visits and support from nursing teams,” adds AHS.”
In both affected communities, residents are told to call 9-1-1 in the case of an emergency. EMS resources remain in the area for support.